


Dedication Through Light and Darkness

by Nozomi_Higurashi



Series: Take it from the Top (series name subject to change) [1]
Category: Cardcaptor Sakura, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Genre: ATEM IS ALIVE, Abridged references WILL be happening, Again, Beware the fangirls, Burst Lady is awesome, Cardcaptor Sakura was NOT meant to be here, F/M, I give up, I think my niche is crack, I won't be able to resist the POWER OF GEORGE MICHAEL!!!, Kero-chan is the family cat, Like a little thing like Death will stop Kaiba from claiming what's his, M/M, Model!Judai, Rejoice, Takes place after DSOD, The muses always win, The muses have struck again, but everyone else is, he is not amused, it fits, more tags to be added later, she's the boss
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-27
Updated: 2018-09-08
Packaged: 2019-04-28 11:19:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14448189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nozomi_Higurashi/pseuds/Nozomi_Higurashi
Summary: The prequel to my story, "Pain of an Angel". Join Judai, his twin sister Okimi, and the rest of the zany Gx Crew as they enter Duel Academy. Judai knows about his powers and is partially trained by Li Syaoran and Sakura - his godparents. Though none know the full extent of his power... Or why one with the Power of Darkness must have a Light twin and vice versa.Spiritshipping starting in Season Two (though Okimi and Frida - Johan's twin - have been TRYING to set their brothers up for years).





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! Gx, or any characters from the Yu-Gi-Oh! Franchise. I do own any OCs I make, but most will be likely be minor characters (save for Okimi and Frida). I make no money from this fanfiction as it is a tribute to a fandom I really like and want to play around in. If you see this on a paid site, please note that someone has plagiarized me and let me know so I may take steps to prevent fines or whatever. Also, I will be using the Japanese names, though there may be some exception. Slifer Slacker just rolls better than Orisis Drop-Out to me. And I forget Winged Kuriboh is Hane Kuriboh in the sub too often to be bothered.
> 
> This is the prequel to Pain of an Angel. Pain of an Angel was supposed to be one “book”. Then it mutated. This prequel was originally going to be something like a 3-shot post-canon Gx transitional story. Then it mutated and now I have a full Gx era plot to write before I can continue Pain of an Angel to avoid plotholes. I am sending the DM Crowd into space soon after this starts, where they still are by the time 5Ds happens because I am not, repeat, not letting my muses get their grubby hands on them and making me write a DM era story to boot. I have this, Pain of an Angel, my concurrently-running, half-outlined Zexal sequels, a potential Arc-V sequel (I’ll see if I can work it in after watching Arc-V, I doubt I can), and a VRAINS sequel in the planning stages, plus two- no three different side-story compilations that will be added to as times go on and the muses go, “Hey, what about this?” and a freakin’ Extended Universe after all that!!! ...I think my muses went on crack when I started rewriting Pain of an Angel. It’s the only explanation for how a story meant to be 100 chapters at most (because my chapters tend to be short) turned into this. *eyes her muses apprehensively*
> 
> Oh, and a fellow author - whose story I beta - has been both feeding my muses and helping me wrangle the Ideas into something workable - so I’m unofficially declaring LonesomePhantome (AO3 account, formerly Farana123) my co-conspirat- I mean co-contributor. xDDD Seriously, without our regular chats, this wouldn’t be nearly the epic journey it’s turned into. Girl, you are amazing.
> 
> Now, onward Sapphire!
> 
> Sapphire Pegasus: ...I must be a masochist to keep putting up with this.
> 
> Edit: Fixed something. I forgot to check "This has multiple chapters" box. Oops.

 

_Sirens blared as a chocolate-eyed child sat on the curb, watching blankly as his parents were wheeled away by ambulance. A shock blanket wrapped his small frame, along with the equally small frame of the child next to him. The second child - similar enough in appearance the relation was obvious - was thinking hard on how to resolve the issue her twi suffered from. Neither would like the only solution she could think of - but needs must, no matter how much even Okimi hated the thought…_

 

~Time skip - 7 years later~

 

Okimi huffed. Judai’s alarm had been blaring for the last 10 minutes, and if her brother didn’t get up now, they’d be late.

 

“Aleister, a little help?” Okimi asked the card in her hand. It glowed momentarily before a Spellcaster appeared before her. The two shared a mischievous glance before the Invoker raised his staff… and lightly whapped Judai’s backside with it. The teenage boy woke up with a yelp, already rubbing his sore bum.

 

“Geez, why’d ya havta wake me up like that?” Judai demanded, slurring slightly in his still-sleepy state.

 

“Do you _want_ to be late for the Entrance Exam Duels? This _is_ the reason you were convinced by Aunt Tomoyo to go into modeling,” Okimi demanded, eyebrow raised, Aleister fading back into a non-corporeal state, but lingering as a Spirit.

 

“...time is it?” Judai asked, starting to nod off, only for Burst Lady to appear on her own and yank him out of bed. Judai yelped once more and began protesting he was up (now fully awake), Okimi and Aleister sharing a glance before bursting out laughing together. Well, they tried to save him from the Devil Woman Herself. Everyone in the Yuki/Li household knew who was _really_ in charge of here.

 

A brown-haired woman just stood back and watched as Burst Lady tossed Judai into the shower, still in his pyjamas, and ordered Bubbleman to turn on the water. Of course, Bubbleman didn’t turn on the shower - he summoned water to drench Judai with. Amused, Sakura continued to Judai’s room, where Okimi was catching her breath. Even if this was a normal occurrence in this household, it still didn’t get old. Sakura and Syaoran would miss the daily entertainment.

 

“Breakfast’s on the table, come and eat. I’ll pack some for Judai to eat on the run -again,” Sakura told her goddaughter.

 

“Thanks, Aunt Sakura.”

 

~*~*~*~

 

“Dammit, dammit, dammit, we’re gonna be late!” Judai muttered as he and Okimi ran from the train station to the Convention Center the Entrance Exams were held in. Not that they caught the train - not only had they missed theirs, but the next one was delayed. Kero-chan and Yue flew them, Sakura using The Illusion Card as she flew alongside with the power of The Fly Card to keep anyone from noticing something… strange. It was the same card she used whenever anyone non-gifted had to come to the house to make Kero-chan look like an ordinary housecat. It never failed to amuse everyone (save the aforementioned magical winged lion - it always annoyed him).

 

“Well, if you had just gotten up on _time_ -” Okimi started, irritated that Judai was complaining when _he_ was the reason they were running late.

 

“I said I was sorry!” her twin wailed before gritting his teeth and starting to run even faster. Okimi started to pour on the speed too, before seeing Judai was about to run into someone.

 

“Judai, look o- too late,” she groaned, slowing to a jog. She began helping Judai pick up his cards, taking a quick glance at who Judai ran into, and was now profusely apologizing to even as he picked up his deck - and did a double-take.

 

“Your duelists, aren’t you?” the ruby-eyed male observed. All Okimi could do was nod dumbly. Of all the people her brother could run into… Then again, this _was_ Judai, and even for a gifted person, he was… _different_ . Okimi was a bit different too, but not _nearly_ to the degree her twin was. He sometimes seemed like he had the power of some force of nature itself trapped within him. Sakura and Syaoran were a godsend in helping him learn some control after _the incident_ . Okimi still felt guilty for sending Yubel away, but something had been seriously wrong with that Duel Spirit, and she could only hope those cosmic rays cured her. Judai didn’t talk to Okimi for a _month_ after she did that, even if Yubel scared him too. She had been his Spirit Partner, after all.

 

“Yeah, we’re heading to the Entrance Exa- Holy crap, you’re Mutou Yugi!” Judai shouted.

 

“Actually that’s me,” said a cheerful voice to the left. Judai and Okimi turned to see a beaming amethyst-eyed young man there. Right, Yugi had the purple eyes, his long-lost (now found) twin Atemu had the red.

 

“New students, hmm? Here, this little one wants to join you,” Atemu said, handing a card to Judai. A Winged Kuriboh immediately appeared over Judai’s left shoulder - but only those with a form of Sight could see him.

 

“Sorry, I don’t think any of the Spirits with me want to join you,” Yugi said to Okimi sheepishly.

 

“That’s fine, I have a Spirit Partner. Judai’s was… unwell, and they had to be separated for his and her safety. I hated doing it,” Okimi said, still shamed by willingly and forcibly separating them.

 

“You did what you had to do, Sis. Yubel wasn’t right in the head. ‘Sides, I have the whole Deck,” Judai said, trying to cheer his sister up. He still felt bad for shutting her out when she did what she had to for, well, _everyone’s_ sake. He just wished he knew what had happened to Yubel to make her so insane and possessive.

 

“...That doesn’t mean there’s not a hole where she once was,” Okimi softly said, and Judai couldn’t hide the flash of pain at the reminder. The Mutou twins looked to each other, knowing the Spirit the Yuki twins were talking about…

 

“Don’t you two have Entrance Exams to get to?” Atemu asked, hoping to distract them from the gloomy atomsphere.

 

“Crap! We’re late!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I also don’t own Cardcaptor Sakura or any characters from it. The muses have struck again. I was thinking of names for Okimi and Judai’s godfather, Syaoran popped in my head, which had Cardcaptor Sakura pop in after I typed it, which had me trying to hit abort, only for Uncle Syaoran to be replaced with Aunt Tomoyo and me to just give up and run with it. It fits. And I can’t win against my damned muses. *muses strike victory poses*
> 
> Also, yes, Atemu is back from the afterlife. This takes place after the DSOD movie. I’m working out a side story to show how that happened. (Note: Kaiba is a genius, there’s Prideshipping in this, and like hell is the guy Kaiba’s in love with staying in the afterlife! Kaiba broke into the Afterlife, marched up to Atemu, gave him the Kiss of Life, and dragged him back. They’re married now. xDDD) And, really, Kaiba is a genius, a hacker, and has connections to the Ishtars that he used. Backstory Kaiba made for Atemu will be explained in the side story when I write it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! Gx, or any characters from the Yu-Gi-Oh! Franchise. I do own any OCs I make, but most will be likely be minor characters (save for Okimi and Frida). I also don’t own Cardcaptor Sakura or any characters from it. I make no money from this fanfiction as it is a tribute to a fandom I really like and want to play around in. If you see this on a paid site, please note that someone has plagiarized me and let me know so I may take steps to prevent fines or whatever. Also, I will be using the Japanese names, though there may be some exceptions. Slifer Slacker just rolls better than Orisis Drop-Out to me. And I forget Winged Kuriboh is Hane Kuriboh in the sub too often to be bothered. Along with some others, so there’s a mismash of English and Japanese card names. *shrugs*
> 
>  
> 
> Wow, been awhile since I updated this. Sorry about that, I didn’t have the computer for awhile, and I’ve also been being swarmed by new plunnies. (Some of which are in the process of merging with old story plunnies, meaning more rewrites soon to come! ...Hopefully.) There’s… A Wild West 5D’s AU plunny (Crashtown made me do it!), a Gx/5D’s fusion idea (Yusei and the gang are students at Duel Academy with Judai and his crew, and I’ll be mixing and matching the plots to make the fusion crazy awesome - Season 3’s gonna be wild), a “Yusei is a dragon in human skin” plunny (simplest way to put it without spoilers right now, that one’s still growing - why do I like changing his species? First Pain of an Angel, then Altered, now this idea), many, many more 5D’s plunnies I won’t get into (HP fusion and even a Voltron fusion to name two), and a couple for Avatar the Last Airbender - Zuko-centric ones because we need more Blue Spirit focused fics out there, dammit! (I love Zuko, but I LOVE the Blue Spirit persona of his more than the typical misguided bad boy banished prince he is most of the time, and want the Blue Spirit to have more love!)
> 
>  
> 
> Anywho, figured out how I’m gonna do this chapter (it was fighting me), so let’s do this!
> 
>  
> 
> Altered will be updated soon as well, Chapter Three was fighting me as well, but I finally won that battle too. (...It’s no longer pure 5D’s either. I give up. My muses like crossovers and fusions too much, and, again, the additional fandom will fit too well.)
> 
> Edit: Found some rather annoying typos, fixed them. WHY do I never catch these when I read it over before publishing? *growls* (I'm always happy to have typos POLITELY pointed out, fyi, I like constructive criticism, so please, if you see more, let me know in the comments section.)

“...I still can’t believe that just happened,” Okimi muttered. The Mutou twins had decided to escort them to the Kaiba Dome where the Entrance Exams were taking place to smooth over any issues them being late to registration might otherwise cause. Apparently the train they _should_ have caught had had engine trouble on the way, meaning, no matter what, they would have been late. It was a rather lucky break - and an oddly common one when Judai was involved in the mess.

 

“I know right. Meeting the Kings of Games _and_ getting a card from the older twin!” Judai exclaimed excitedly as they reached the end of the hall to the stadium they were directed to. The Motou twins had left them after explaining the train situation to the registration desk. Okimi was quite sure the only reason she and her twin hadn’t been turned away was because of them.

 

They decided to watch from the balcony after entering. Okimi, having won last month’s World Junior’s Tournament was exempt from the Dueling Exam, but still decided to show up to support Judai. (Not that he needed it, she really just wanted to watch him trounce whatever examiner got stuck with him. As well as ensure the planned prank went off without a hitch.) Speaking of…

 

“Judai, I’m gonna go chat with a few of the girls over there. Don’t get into trouble while I’m gone!” Okimi chirped, waving as she walked off.

 

“I know better than to get into trouble without ya, sis! You’ll just find a way to one-up me next time!” Judai called at his retreating twin’s back with a grin. However, once she was out of sight, the grin fell and he muttered quietly, “Keep her safe for me.”

 

 _Defender, the Magical Knight_ , one of the cards Judai got for Okimi’s Singles Deck nodded and vanished from Judai’s Sight, no doubt reappearing somewhere near his sister. Judai sighed and turned to watch the last of the Duels down below finish up. The blue-haired boy next to him looked up.

 

“Everything okay?”

 

Judai blinked. “Huh? Oh, yeah. I recognize some of those girls Okimi went to chat with, I’m just dreading whatever she’s planning. I hope it’s not _too_ embarrassing.” The boy laughed nervously. Judai shifted so he could hold out a hand. “Yuki Judai, you are?”

 

“Marufuji Sho. Wait, Yuki? Your sister wouldn'y happen to be-”

 

“This year’s World Junior’s Champ? Yup. I’m proud of her. And kinda disappointed too. I had a photo shoot that would have interfered in competing. Okimi complained about some of the Duelists, and, well, I’m the older twin, so it’s my _job_ to protect her. ...Don’t tell her I said that though, she can protect herself pretty well and makes sure to remind me when I voice that.”

 

Sho laughed at that, pleasing Judai. He could tell the kid was way too nervous, but he had a strong Spirit - he just needed the confidence to bring that strength out. Something to do while he avoided homework.

 

A new student climbed the stairs and sat down in front of the two boys. Judai tilted his head, a spark of mischief in his eyes. Stepping down so he was more level with the black-haired teen, he gave the guy - Misawa, was it? - a friendly slap on the shoulder. “Hey, man, that was a sweet Duel! You’re probably the third strongest new student this year!”

 

“Oh? And who are the first and second?” Misawa asked curiously.

 

“Well, my sis is number one - for now. I’ll dethrone her soon enough,” Judai said with a grin full of confidence and no arrogance. Misawa raised a brow at that.

 

“And may I know the name of my competition?” he wondered. Judai simply smiled mysteriously, cackling on the inside as he counted down. Featherman had just informed him he’ll be called to Duel shortly.

 

_5… 4… 3…_

 

“Will Yuki Judai-kun please report to Duel Field Four. Yuki Judai-kun to Duel Field Four, please.”

 

“Well, that’s my cue. Later, Sho, see you on the chopper to the Island! Misawa, watch and learn!” Judai called over his shoulder as he made his way down to the Duel Field. He took note of the examiner. _That_ wasn’t an official proctor. Maybe a teacher? Given the look on the guy’s face, he wasn’t happy about Judai's late arrival. _This is gonna be_ fun _,_ Judai thought with a devil’s smirk on the inside.

 

“ _Buon giorno!_ ” the examiner called smugly. Judai, having studied Italian (“It’ll be good to communicate with others instead of relying of a translator, Judai, trust me, that gets old _fast_ ,” Aunt Tomoyo had said to convince him), understood the greeting. So instead of being confused, he decided to have a bit of fun.

 

“ _Buon giorno_ , to you too!” he replied cheerfully, putting on what Okimi called his “naive idiot” mask. “Sorry, I’m not fluent in Italian, I mostly know greetings, how to ask where the bathroom is, and if someone speaks Japanese as well, Aunt Tomoyo insisted I learn _that_ much when she took me to Rome for a business trip and I convinced her to let me tag along.” _Let him think I’m just a naive, impulsive child, I wanna know what he’s really like_ . Judai, of course, didn’t do things by halves, and was actually fluent. He may not learn well from books, but learning a how to speak a language _isn’t_ something you should learn from a book anyway. Not unless you wanted atrocious pronunciation.

 

The examiner pursed his painted lips at that. Judai didn’t bat an eye at the fact he was a crossdresser, he wasn’t narrow-minded, and people could dress how they wanted. (Though his fashion sense _was_ something that Judai’s modeling eye was appalled by - couldn’t the guy have chosen a better dress?) Judai, pretending not to understand why the examiner seemed unhappy with Judai’s response (no doubt he wanted to look superior, only to have Judai be completely unfazed), suddenly straightened.

 

“Oh, sorry. Yuki Judai, sir! ...Please don’t tell Uncle Syaoran I forgot my manners there for a second, his etiquette classes are so _boring_ ,” Judai introduced, continuing to play up the immature, naive idiot mask he was wearing. _I wonder how long it will take before I make him scream in frustration_ , Judai mused. Yes, Uncle Syaoran had made a point to teach him proper etiquette, and it _was_ boring, but Uncle Syaoran said that he was free to annoy people that deserved it so long as he wasn’t caught. Uncle Syaoran _hated_ the formal dinners with his family from China as much as Judai did. They were stifling.

 

The examiner gained a superior look on his face at that. “ _Signore_ Judai, I am Chronos de Medici, acting Chief General Practitioner of Practical Application at the Academy.”

 

Judai did his best not to yawn. This was one of _those_ people then. Well, either dealing with Judai would cause him to go crazy or loosen him up. Or both. It’s always fun when both happens. Crazy awesome is _crazy_ awesome for a reason, after all. Judai should know. His aunts and uncles are crazy awesome, you kinda have to be to handle a Gift well. Judai hoped he could find a way to restore Uncle Touya’s sacrificed Gift. Well, at least the guy made it easy to keep up the naive idiot mask with _that_ pompous introduction.

 

“What an honor,” Judai started, allowing the grin to break free, making it seem he was impressed instead of gleefully setting the guy up for embarrassment later. “To think that the Director of Practical Application would challenge _me_! I’m sure that means you’re expecting a lot of me!” He laughed at that, pretending he was nervous, when it was all he could do to keep from breaking character early.

 

Judai knew it wasn’t really meant to be an honor, but seeing his future teacher’s blood pressure rise was too much fun. _This is why I don’t go to school and have tutors instead. Well, that and I_ needed _to not be around others who can’t defend themselves from a supernatural assault - even accidental - until I learned basic control. Thank the gods for my parents being old childhood friends of Aunt Sakura._ That thought sobered him a bit, but he had plenty of practice pushing the pain aside to focus on the here and now. He’d find a way to free his parents from what Yubel did someday. He just needed to be patient and learn everything he could that might even _remotely_ help in his self-appointed quest.

 

“Yes, well let’s begin. Duel Coat, on!” Chronos practically sang. In fact… was he _humming_ as he drew his hand? Yes, yes he was. Oh, boy, maybe Judai was _too_ good at playing the naive idiot. Well, it _was_ his favorite mask, he had a lot of practice at this point. Speaking of the mask…

 

“Wow. That thing is really awesome!” Judai gasped. That was partially true. He did like it quite a bit, but he’d much prefer something in red. Or black. He’d always found himself partial to darker colors and blue was a bit too bright for him. Still… Naive idiot. “Teach, can I buy one of those coats too?” He knew that blue coats were for the Obelisk Dorm, and he did _not_ want to be in Blue or Yellow. Not only were both too bright, they shades they used looked horrible on him. It’s why he purposefully bombed the written exam _just enough_ that he’d have a second chance with the Duel Exam, but no matter how well he did, he’d be put into Slifer Red.

 

...Pretty sure if Hogwarts was real, he’d be in Slytherin. Oh, how he wished it were real, the chaos he’d cause among the Snakes as he helped Harry… Oops, he was supposed to be paying attention, not fantasizing about what he would do in a fictional world.

 

He had heard Chronos respond, but hadn’t paid attention to was was said. No matter, naive idiot time. “Alright, then! I’ll do my best!” Judai grinned, eager to get started and have some _real_ fun via shock and awe and not mind games. Those got boring to keep up after awhile. “My turn!”

 

Judai drew his first card. _Featherman, huh? So you wanna have some fun too? Let’s see here… Monster Reborn, Draining Shield, Hero Signal, Fusion, and The Warrior Returning Alive. Not a bad hand to start, you guys are just as eager to wipe the smug smirk of this guy’s face as me, aren’t you. Better save Hero Signal for later, let’s set Draining Shield, I have a feeling Chronos plans to try and make me out to be a novice and I intend to play along. I’ll be sure to let you play Featherman, but you may need to wait in the Graveyard beforehand. I’m setting you in Defense mode._

 

**Featherman ATK/DEF: 1000/1000**

 

He stated his moves, as was regulation, placing Featherman in face-up Defense Position rather than face-down (something that _never_ failed to make an opponent overconfident) and setting one of his two Traps facedown to save the one he needed for later from any potential counters. Better to set it when Chronos has an attacking monster already, after all.

 

“It is my turn,” Chronos began, seemingly satisfied with how Judai’s move went. Judai knew, between the naive idiot mask and his Elemental Hero Deck, people tended to think he was a naive, optimistic fool - until he showed he was less of a hero and more of an _anti_ -hero. Embracing the Darkness and Chaos he was born to made one more inclined to protecting from shadows than the light, after all. Batman was his favorite anti-hero. He liked Deadpool too, but only because he’s funny.

 

Oh, man, he drifted again. Thankfully, it seemed no one had noticed, so it must not have been too long. Too bad ADHD meds had _no_ effect on him, this is why he wasn’t allowed to do Chemistry anymore.

 

...Well, the real reason was he liked the booms he made. Chaos _is_ what he is, after all. Chemistry was the _one_ school subject he was able to focus on easily because knowing how to blow things up is too much fun. So long as they’re small. He doesn’t like hurting others, just startling them a bit.

 

“Allow me to teach you how broad the world is!” Chronos was saying. Judai fought the urge to roll his eyes. _I ought to be teaching_ you _that, teach._ “From my hand, I activate the Magic Card, Confiscation!”

 

“What? Confiscation?” Judai exclaimed, unhappy about the card. He realized his mask had slipped, so those who were inclined to not let themselves see only what’s on the surface now knew he was putting on an act, but Judai was fine with that. Made things more interesting, especially if some could be convinced to help others believe the role he’s decided on for now.

 

 _Shit! Well, I have two cards that would work to bring Featherman out, and I know my pals will come through in my next turn to give me a monster for Hero Signal that_ isn’t _Burst Lady. I have no doubt he’ll get rid of Monster Reborn, thinking it the bigger threat. I, personally, would remove Fusion since it’s the backbone of a Deck like mine - not that I don’t have_ other _ways of Fusing since I know my own weaknesses._

 

Apparently, Chronos mistook his slip as confusion because he, with great glee, answered, “By paying 1000 Life Points, I can look at my opponent’s hand, pick one card from it, and discard it to the Cemetery.”

 

**Chronos LP 4000 → 3000**

 

 _I_ know _that!_ Judai thought, but kept himself from saying anything. He may actively work to make his opponents underestimate him, but that didn’t stop it from being grating to his pride. Someday, he’d perfect this mask enough that “naive idiot” didn’t also mean, “lucky idiot who doesn’t _really_ know how the game works”. Until then, he’d have to swallow his pride when he overdid it on the “idiot” part of the mask since it was his own fault anyway.

 

Chronos chuckled as the Solid Vision allowed him a look at Judai’s hand. That wasn’t something a street duel did. Must be because they were in a state-of-the-art arena instead. Sometimes Judai _really_ hated how it was decided he’d be the model and Okimi would be the Tournament Duelist so they could earn their own money to go to Duel Academy with. He’d agreed, since it was dangerous for him to Duel until he had enough control over his powers, but it still wasn’t something he was happy with. Oh well.

 

Chronos finished looking over Judai’s hand, deciding to make a snide comment as he did so. “Sure enough, a dropout boy’s deck, I see.”

 

 _Oh, you did_ not _just go there. I’ll show you dropout as I drop_ you _\- control, control, need to keep control,_ Judai thought, feeling the Darkness rising up, ready to lash out at Chronos. _He’s an idiot, but he’s not Evil. Control, need to keep control_.

 

Judai knew his mask was gone now, he was gritting his teeth in anger and knew there was no mistaking the scowl as anything but insulted pride. Still, it was about time the mask dropped anyway, he didn’t want to be seen as a doormat. Not if he intended to be able to help Sho with his confidence.

 

“I’ll send Monster Reborn to the Cemetery!” Chronos declared, and Judai smirked. _Knew it_.

 

“Then I’ll place two cards face-down on the field,” Chronos continued. “Next, I activate the Magic Card, Heavy Storm, from my hand.”

 

_Tokens then. Activated via destruction. So two Statue of the Wicked then, that’s the one trap card I’m aware of that summons tokens via its destruction._

 

Judai was now _very_ glad he decided to save Hero Signal for later. His entire strategy would have been wrecked if he hadn’t. Not that he probably couldn’t have found a way to pull off a win, but it would have been more difficult. He wanted to _crush_ this opponent.

 

Naive idiot time again. Or maybe just not as knowledgeable as he is. _Statue of the Wicked_ isn’t commonly used, after all. There’s other Tokens that are much easier to get out than them.

 

“But Professor, your cards got mixed into it too!” Judai declared, allowing a bit of triumph to enter his voice. He knew he hadn’t won yet, he wouldn’t get cocky, but it was expected when someone thought their opponent made a mistake.

 

“That’s what they call being a ‘frog in a well.’ Ribbit, ribbit,” Chronos mocked, and while Judai wasn’t familiar with the phrase, it wasn’t difficult to understand what _wasn’t_ being said. _He thinks this is checkmate. He doesn’t know it’s only check. On_ his _King._

 

“I special summon two Wicked Lord Tokens!” Chronos declared. Two golden serpentine tokens appeared on the field. Judai braced himself for what came next. He knew from the start that this teacher was likely using his _own_ Deck, not an Exam one, hence the hostility he was struggling to tamp down. “And my turn is not over as yet!"

 

Judai chuckled. May as well make the most of this. He wondered what kind of Deck this was. Clearly one with at least a handful high level Monsters if Chronos had a trap meant to generate tribute fodder without needing Monsters. Aggro Beatdown type, likely, lots of high levels and ways to get them out faster than normal. His own Elemental Heroes was more of Hybrid type, with a favoring of Combo and Ramp, but occasionally, like now, he’ll go Aggro himself. And let’s not get started on his _other_ Hero-type Decks. (He hopes he won’t find himself in a situation where he needs his Evil Heroes. _Those_ Spirits are Tainted like Yubel, but controllable with his own control. He’s only recently been given permission to use them again, and only in extreme circumstances - something Judai hopes won’t happen, but he’s been have _too_ much good luck lately. That tends to precede some bad coming and _soon_.)

 

“Sounds fun! What’re you going to show me this time, Professor?” It wasn’t even a lie. Judai was curious about the Deck Chronos used, even if the Duelist needed to learn respect for different types of Spirits than those he favored.

 

Chronos looked miffed at how Judai wasn’t acting the way he’d hoped. “Next, I’ll sacrifice both my Wicked Lord Tokens… To summon Ancient Gear Golem!”

 

**Ancient Gear Golem ATK/DEF: 3000/3000**

 

 _Ancient Gear, which is an Aggro Beatdown. Knew it. Guys like him are_ predictable. _And that translates to boring. I don’t_ do _boring. His class is now renamed naptime._

 

Still, he’s never _actually_ faced a decent Duelist with that Deck, so he’s never faced an Ancient Gear Golem. He had to give Chronos credit for knowing how to play his cards well. The Golem was pretty impressive. Judai couldn’t wait to fight it with his favorite Hero.

 

“Awesome! The rumors told me about this thing,” Judai said, allowing the mask to drop completely and show the competent and _powerful_ Duelist hiding behind it.

 

Chronos laughed gloatingly. “Here I go! **Ultimate Pound**!”

 

Ancient Gear Golem wound up his fist as Featherman braced himself for impact. _Good thing Solid Vision is different from a_ true _Summoning, that would seriously hurt Featherman if this were real_ , Judai thought, as Featherman was hit by a fist that plowed his _entire_ torso. _I’d hate to be hit by that for real myself_ , was thought as the fist continued on to hit him as well, dealing piercing damage. Judai grunted, but otherwise didn’t allow himself to be fazed. He’d been hit by worse in magic training.

 

**Judai LP 4000 → 2000**

 

He kept his head down, trying to hide his laughter, because this was _perfect_ . He just needed the help of his newest friend and to draw one more card he knew his deck would deliver with _glee_ and he’d win with one attack. However, Chronos mistook his hung head and shoulders shaking with silent laughter as Judai losing his fighting spirit, and Judai couldn’t help it anymore. He laughed out loud and lifted his head, a confident, roguish smirk on his face.

 

“I’m really touched… that the General Directing Professor is dueling his hardest against me!”

 

This time there was the faintest trace of mockery in his voice, easily mistaken as restrained excitement. He was restraining his excitement, after all. The words - if not the hidden mockery - did what Judai wanted. Chronos was angry. And an angry opponent often made mistakes. _This is where my true power’ll get put to the test!_

 

Judai went to draw his next card and heard his newest friend. He paused momentarily, before drawing Winged Kuriboh. _So you’re eager to help too, huh, aibou? Happy to have you join us._ Winged Kuriboh winked at him from its card, and Judai laughed. _Alright, aibou, let’s do this._

 

“From my hand, I’ll summon Winged Kuriboh in defense mode! Then, I set a card facedown to end my turn!” _Come on, be overconfident and ignore my Trap. Take the bait my aibou is willing to be._

 

**Winged Kuriboh ATK/DEF: 300/200**

 

Chronos laughed. It was getting rather annoying to hear. “A feathered Kuriboh...You have quite the rare card there, don’t you?”

 

 _You have_ no _idea_ , Judai thought smugly. Even if it weren’t rare, not many can truthfully say they were given a card by one of the Kings of Games, since the Twins share the title. They have fun pretending to be each other in a Duel, and look so similar, if one is wearing colored contacts, _you can’t tell the difference_ . _How_ they learned each other’s mannerisms so quickly is something they obviously aren’t willing to share. After all, they’ve been asked, and simply laughed with the response, “If you don’t know, we can’t tell you.” Judai looked up to them as Master Pranksters too. He wanted to be that good at pranking someday.

 

“However, it’s just a low-level monster, is it not? You may have played it in Defense Mode, but it will not stave off Ancient Gear Golem’s piercing effect!”

 

_Wanna bet?_

 

“I suppose a smallfry monster befits a smallfry!”

 

Judai froze. _You did NOT just insult_ **MY** _aibou!_ he thought, enraged.

 

“My turn, is it not?”

 

 _Yeah. You’re_ last _turn. This ends on_ my _next turn. I’m_ done _playing with you._

 

Chronos drew his card. “This is the end. Ancient Gear Golem, use Ultimate Pound on Winged Kuriboh!”

 

Winged Kuriboh let out a determined shrieked as it was destroyed, preventing Judai from taking any damage from Ancient Gear Golem’s piercing effect. Judai winced.

 

 _Forgive me, Winged Kuriboh. I know you agreed to help, but that_ had _to hurt, holographic body or no._

 

“Why aren’t your Life Points decreasing?" Chronos asked, confused.

 

Judai looked at Chronos, a sad smile on his face. He felt guilty for using Winged Kuriboh as bait, no matter the reassurances he heard coming from it as it rested. “On the turn Winged Kuriboh is destroyed, any damage I take becomes zero,” he informed the professor, the guilt tempering his anger and helping his control. _Thank you, aibou. I might have lost it there if not for you._

 

Chronos laughed nervously. “So that was your smallfry monster’s special ability, was it?” he sneered with false bravado.

 

Insulted on Winged Kuriboh’s behalf, but remembering _why_ Winged Kuriboh chose to be the next card drawn instead of someone who’d be able to leave him with a few life points in spite of Piercing Damage like Wildman, Judai didn’t allow himself to get _too_ angry.

 

“You’ll pay for calling a friend who put his life on the line to protect me a ‘smallfry’!”

 

‘ _Judai, this_ isn’t _a Shadow Game, remember. We’re all perfectly fine in a Duel that only uses Solid Vision_ ,’ Burst Lady sighed from within his deck. Honestly, sometimes her charge was an overprotective idiot. But he was _her_ overprotective idiot, so she’ll put up with it - and slap him on the back of the head whenever he needs a wake-up call. She’d been ready to do that if Winged Kuriboh’s willing sacrifice hadn’t. She’d have to track down the Pharaohs at some point and thank them.

 

“Such a smart-alec! Is there a problem with me calling your throw-away monster a ‘smallfry’?” Chronos demanded, having regained his overconfidence rather quickly.

 

Judai smirked. This was the perfect opening for the final act. “There is. Winged Kuriboh’s shriek is the signal that’ll call the monsters in my Deck out into action!” _Thanks, for the reminder, Burst Lady. Ready to play?_

 

‘ _Always, Judai._ ’

 

“Trap card, activate! Hero Signal! From my deck, I special summon my second Elemental Hero, Burst Lady!”

 

**Burst Lady ATK/DEF: 1200/800**

 

Burst Lady appeared in a torrent of flame, deciding to indulge Judai’s flare for drama. He really should have gone into acting instead of modeling. She turned to Judai with a playful pout. “ **No dramatic introduction this time? I’m hurt!** ”

 

“Sorry, Burst Lady, I’ll introduce you properly, next time. I just wanna finish this already. I’m getting hungry,” Judai laughed sheepishly.

 

“ **That’s what happens when you don’t wake up with your alarm and you rush out the door because you don’t have time for breakfast. Perhaps I should just start getting Bubbleman to give you a shower to wake up?** ”

 

“ _No!_ Please, no, I’ll wake up on time, I promise, no cold water wake up calls!”

 

“ **Hmph. I’ll hold you to that.** ”

 

Judai groaned. There was no fighting Burst Lady.

 

“Did your monster just-” Chronos began, but Judai decided he didn’t want to answer an obvious question.

 

“My turn!” His next card was Skyscraper. Perfect. “Winged Kuriboh, I’ve got a tight hold on all of your encouragement! Just watch me.” He heard Winged Kuriboh cheering him on from just on the other side of the dimensional veil.

 

“Featherman’s gonna use his unyielding fighting spirit to come back from the dead!” Judai declared, use the magic of _The Warrior Returning Alive_ to add Featherman back to his hand before summoning him. He didn’t _need_ to summon Featherman to fuse him and Burst Lady, but, hey, he was a born entertainer. Maybe Duel Academy would have a Drama Club he could join for a bit of fun.

 

“Hmph. What good will your fragile little comic book heroes do you?” Chronos sneered. Burst Lady raised a brow.

 

“ **You’ve been underestimating Judai from the start. Then again, that** **_was_ ** **his game plan. Now it’s too late. You’re about to lose.** ”

 

“Oh, come _on_ , Burst Lady, I planned to have more fun with that mask!”

 

“ **Hmph. It’s unbecoming to continue to play the fool for too long. If you** **_must_ ** **continue to play the fool, join a Theater Club or something, or** **_start_ ** **one if there is none at Duel Academy. You’re born to lead, act like it.** ”

 

“Slavedriver.”

 

“ **I’m sorry, I’m afraid I didn’t hear you, what was that?** ”

 

“I said, I’ll do that!” Judai yelped, causing the audience to laugh. Many were confused by a hologram being able to bully someone into something, but given the Theater Club comment and the reveal that Judai only been _acting_ the naive idiot, made many think this was something Judai had pre-programmed into his Duel Disk for when he summoned Burst Lady and the programming would be removed or replaced later since it served its use.

 

Judai shook his head, getting himself back in the Duel and deciding to just ignore Chronos’s snide comment. “I activate the Magic Card, Fusion!” Featherman and Burst Lady leapt into the air, Burst Lady shooting a glare Chronos’s way as she did so. “This’ll fuse Featherman and Burst Lady! Fusion Summon!” A powerful-looking Hero with a dragon’s head for a right hand, a feathered wing attached to the shoulder blade of the opposite arm, and a spiked dragon’s tail appeared on the field. “My favorite card, Elemental Hero, Flame Wingman!”

 

**Flame Wingman ATK/DEF: 2100/1200**

 

“Allow me to give you a special lecture. Listen up,” Chronos stated, overconfident once more despite Burst Lady’s warning not to underestimate Judai. Judai sighed.

 

“You’re still underestimating me. Let _me_ teach _you_ something, teach. A _good_ Duelist gauges the competition before dismissing them as a threat.” Judai held up his last card. “Heroes have a battle arena fit just for Heroes!” The Field Spell slot of his Duel Disk opened up. He flipped his card around. “The Field Magic, Skyscraper!” He placed his Field Spell card in the slot and as soon as he did, the speakers had music start playing over them.

 

_~You got to go to the City!~_

 

“SERIOUSLY, OKIMI???” Judai shouted, causing his twin and the girls she was sitting with to roar with laughter. “You _know_ this means war, right? No one pranks the Prank Master and gets away with it!”

 

That got everyone else, save some sticks in the mud, to start laughing. Even a certain stoic Kaiser let out a few chuckles, to the surprise of those near him.

 

Judai shook his head, deciding to ignore the song playing in the background. “Okay! The stage is set! Go, Flame Wingman! Attack Ancient Gear Golem! Skyscraper’s Effect activates! When a Hero fights against a Monster with attack higher than its own, the Hero’s attack increases by 1000 points!”

 

Flame Wingman leapt off the Empire State-like Skyscraper he stood on, silhouetted by the full moon behind him.

 

**Flame Wingman ATK: 2100 → 3100**

 

“Take this! Skyscraper Shoot!”

 

Flame Wingman flipped around into a flaming dive, aiming straight for the opposing Golem. He punched straight through then performed a graceful flip to land right in front of his Duelist.

 

**Chronos Life Points: 3000 → 2900**

 

“Flame Wingman’s effect makes you take damage equal to the destroyed Monster’s attack, teach,” Judai informed Chronos as his defeated Golem groaned, and then fell on top of Chronos. Judai was still feeling a bit spiteful, so he made the hologram _just_ real enough to knock Chronos over. It would be seen a minor glitch in the safeties of the professor’s Duel Disk, nothing a bit of debugging wouldn’t cure.

 

**Chronos Life Points 2900 → 0**

 

Judai raised a hand, before pointing two fingers at Chronos with a wink. “Gotcha! That sure was a fun Duel, Professor!” he said. And it _was_ fun. Save for the insults about his cards - which he was sadly getting used to - it was a fun challenge. If he hadn’t had such a good starting hand, he _knew_ Chronos would have been quite the difficult opponent.

 

~ _Absolutely Flawless_ ~

 

“You can stop with the George Michael any time now, sis!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *grinning manically* I did say there’d be Abridged references and that I wouldn’t be able to resist the Power of George Michael in the tags over on AO3. I had this planned. This chapter was all planned out even before writing chapter one, save for the start because I needed a decent transition from chapter one to chapter two. And that was the hang up. I finally resorted to just opening with a comment from Okimi. It’s lazy, and not something I like to do unless the conversation is plot-necessary, but it was the only transition I tried that worked. *shrugs* Oh, well, it happens.
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> As you can see, this Judai a bit different, but at the same time, the same as canon. He’s just more mature, but loves to have fun, so he acts the naive fool. Burst Lady burst his fun on that front though. He’ll have to find another way to play mind games. Well, he was getting bored with that one…
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> Also, all Darkness is Chaos, as all Light is Order. Judai still has the Gentle Darkness. Chaos isn’t necessarily a bad thing. He’s also aware of the fact he has Darkness thanks to his godparents and their training. Yue, being the Moon Spirit bound to Sakura, helps train Judai more than Kero-chan. The opposite is true for Okimi, as she is the Light twin.
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> And, my muses decided some of our fiction exists in this, apparently. This is why I need to write the prequel before continuing Pain of an Angel. This is one of the potential plot holes that could have happened. I did not know Judai’s a fan of Batman in this ‘verse. But I can totally see him running around as a kid exclaiming, “I’m Batman!” while wearing Batman pjs as his parents try to catch him to get the hyperactive bundle of energy into bed so he’ll go the fuck to sleep already! *wonders how many read that last part of the sentence in Samuel L. Jackson’s voice*
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> Oh, this is going to be fun. Judai is so much fun to write.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! Gx, or any characters from the Yu-Gi-Oh! Franchise. I do own any OCs I make, but most will be likely be minor characters (save for Okimi and Frida). I also don’t own Cardcaptor Sakura or any characters from it. I make no money from this fanfiction as it is a tribute to a fandom I really like and want to play around in. If you see this on a paid site, please note that someone has plagiarized me and let me know so I may take steps to prevent fines or whatever. Also, I will be using the Japanese names, though there may be some exceptions. Slifer Slacker just rolls better than Orisis Drop-Out to me. And I forget Winged Kuriboh is Hane Kuriboh in the sub too often to be bothered. Along with some others, so there’s a mismash of English and Japanese card names. *shrugs*
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> And, we’re riding the Momentum I have now! Judai is just blasting through any roadblocks. Look at him go!
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> Judai: *flies by on Sapphire Pegasus* WHOO-HOO! You’re right, this is a lot of fun!
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> Sapphire Pegasus: (thinking) Why is it always me?
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> Me: Because I love you, and I torture the characters I love.
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> Sapphire Pegasus: ...You heard that?
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> Me: Hon, I built the fourth wall for this AU, I can break it whenever I want!
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> *coughs* Why do I suddenly sense DOOM? *looks over to muses who are looking a little too innocent - and talking to Judai who’s looking just as innocent*
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> What have I just done? What Chaos have I just unleashed? *grabs popcorn and awaits the fireworks* Carry on! xDDD

Judai collected his Slifer uniform, quite pleased with himself. Chronos had been practically frothing at the mouth after their Duel.  _ And _ because of his plotting, he was now in the Dorm that not only needed an awesome Duelist to help those in it realize labels are for suckers, but the  _ best _ dorm in his opinion because it had the best color  _ and  _ was right on a seaside cliff, meaning an awesome view, great fishing, and fresh air all the time. (It was also farthest from the volcano, which Judai would  _ never _ complain about not going near. He was reckless, not suicidal, thank you!)

 

He zoned out (read - fell asleep standing up) during the introduction assembly, but, hey, naptime’s naptime. And if someone’s being a boring drone, it’s naptime. (Burst Lady slapped him for that. It’s the only reason he woke up in time to leave with everyone else when the assembly ended.)

 

Yawning, he looked at the Personal Duel Assistant - PDA for short - that he was assigned, glancing over the boring rules, seeing how far he could bend them before they’ll scream for mercy. (He didn’t wait for Burst Lady that time. He gave  _ himself _ a mental slap to shove the Tainted Darkness back in it’s cage. Burst Lady faded back beyond the veil before she could materialize just enough to slap Judai without being noticed by those without Sight, nodding in approval.)

 

“Oh, I’m Red!” Sho declared, looking at his own PDA.

 

Deciding not to call Sho out and cause his confidence to take a hit, Judai exclaimed, just as excited, “Hey, whaddaya know, so am I!”

 

Okimi raised a brow at her twin at that. Judai had been  _ aiming _ for Red. Judai just jerked his head at Sho before giving her a  _ Look _ that said, “I’m taking him under my wing, he needs the help.” Okimi nodded.

 

“Looks like I’m Blue. Then again, all girls are apparently automatically put into one of the two Blue Dorms. Hmmm… I don’t think that fair,” she mused. Judai grinned inwardly.  _ Someone _ was making plans to shake things up. He couldn’t be more proud.

 

Misawa walked by just then. Judai continued to pretend ignorance to protect Sho from potential embarrassment. “Hey, Number 3, you in Red too? Or maybe Blue?”

 

“Nope, I can tell from my uniform. I’m Ra Yellow,” Misawa stated proudly, though he looked at Judai strangely. Surely Judai, who was clearly  _ far _ more intelligent and skilled than he likes to let on, knew this.  Misawa had a feeling Judai had  _ ensured _ he would wind up in Red, for reasons the Ra hoped to someday find out. Judai simply responded to the inquisitive gaze by quickly glancing at Sho, then  _ glaring _ at Misawa, daring him to call the boy out. Getting the silent message, Misawa didn’t say a word. Sho, it was clear, had very little confidence, and Judai intended to help with that. Perhaps that was his reason for purposefully bombing a test so he’d be in the lowest-ranked Dorm? Noble of him.

 

Judai looked it his own uniform, putting on a mask of dawning comprehension. Misawa couldn’t help be think,  _ We  _ really _ need a Theater Club, that’s some decent talent _ .

 

“Oooh, so  _ that’s _ what your uniform color means?” Judai stated in a voice that sounded very much like he really  _ hadn’t _ realized that. If Misawa weren’t so naturally observant, he’d have easily been fooled.

 

Deciding to play along, Misawa asked, “Why are you in Red? That’s peculiar.” He already deduced at least  _ part _ of the reason. Hopefully, this would prompt Judai to tell him more.

 

Judai immediately got defensive however, “Hmmm? What’s wrong with being Red?”

 

“Ah, nothing, nothing,” Misawa said, quickly backpedalling verbally. Seems he accidentally pressed the “overprotective” button. “Well, don’t let it bother you. I’ll be on my way, Number 2-kun.”

 

“Number 1 now, actually. I beat Okimi in a duel earlier,” Judai stated.

 

“When?” Sho asked. There hadn’t been any  _ time _ .

 

“Yesterday, after getting back from my photo shoot and before I crashed out from jet lag. That was 79 wins, 0 losses against Okimi, by the way,” Judai smirked.

 

“Then why did you imply your twin’s a better Duelist than you?” Misawa couldn’t help but wonder.

 

“Because my idiot brother likes to play mind games where he pretends to be harmless or naive or gullible or something else that will get people to underestimate him because he enjoys crushing jerks’ egos,” Okimi informed both Misawa and Sho. “But if he decides your his, the only mind games he’ll play are the ones meant to help you somehow. Your both his now, by the way. You can’t  _ find _ a better protector.”

 

“Aw, you  _ do _ care,” Judai teased, only to have his twin flick his ear. “Ow!”

 

“Behave. I’m in a different dorm, you need to be able to control yourself and your wilder impulses with me,” Okimi told him flatly. Judai swallowed heavily. Damn, he hadn’t thought about that.

 

“Wilder impulses?” Sho asked nervously. It almost seemed like Okimi was implying her brother was  _ dangerous _ , and they were only safe from the potential danger because he liked them for some odd reason. Judai shrugged.

 

“I’ve been accused of being Chaos Incarnate. Okimi usually pulls me back if I start to get too chaotic.”

 

“Flick his ear, and if that doesn’t work, pull him by it. I’ve trained him to calm down with those cues,” Okimi instructed.

 

“What am I, a dog?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I walked right into that one.”

 

Misawa shook his head. Maybe Judai was a bit… different in how his mind worked. He was still a fun guy who tried to help others. Besides, eccentricity is just a socially acceptable form of insanity, Judai simply had that in spades.

 

...Potentially with some sociopathy or even psychopathy mixed in, but at least it wasn’t the violent sort. No one was perfect.

 

“See ya later, Misawa! You better just do  _ your _ best and try not to let things get you down!” Judai called. Misawa just laughed, and waved as he walked away before suddenly remembering something.

 

“Ah, that’s right… your dorms are over there,” he said, giving Judai a significant look as he jerked his thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the seaside cliff the Red Dorms were in. Judai had a blank look for a second before he realized what Misawa was doing and his eyes changed to show their gratitude - even if the rest of his expression remained carefully blank. So maybe Judai was just the fun kind of crazy - meaning eccentric. Good to know.

 

~*~*~*~

 

“What is  _ this _ ?” Sho asked plaintively as he and Judai walked up the steps outside of their dorm. “Is the Slifer Red Dorm the only Dorm that sucks?”

 

Judai was already gazing out at what he had  _ known _ would be a spectacular view. He wasn’t wrong. It was  _ amazing _ .

 

“Oh, yeah? This place has a great view,  _ and _ its got appeal!” Judai declared. It may not be the most glamorous of places, but Judai never liked those. They made him uncomfortable. They made the Taint stir in its cage. He was  _ quite _ happy with what Uncle Syaoran’s family would disdainfully call a  _ toolshed _ .

 

...And that’s  _ another _ plus for this Dorm! Anything that would those sticks in the mud would find appalling was  _ perfect _ for him.

 

“Appeal, huh?”

 

“Yup, for one, I already mentioned the view. Two, this is an  _ awesome _ fishing spot! Three, the breeze will always make the air really fresh and nice. And last, but certainly not least, we’re nowhere near  _ that _ and would be the first able to get the Hell out of Dodge if it blew,” Judai pointed at the smoking volcano in the distance. Sho swallowed heavily. He found he  _ really _ couldn’t argue with that logic and was suddenly quite happy with his dorm. Judai hid a smirk. Mission accomplished. Sho now had fuel to point out the  _ merits _ of the Red Dorm. Now he just needed the confidence to fight back if necessary. That would take longer. Unfortunately.

 

Judai pushed away from the balcony, grabbing his rucksack and swinging it over his shoulder as he went. “Let’s check out our room, roomie!”

 

Judai quickly found their room - he had a  _ lot  _ of practice from staying in so many hotels, and opened the door. “Home sweet home!” He looked around a bit more. “Hmm. Well, it’s surprisingly small, but there’s enough room to live on, and that suits me just fine.”  _ The less glamorous the better without Okimi to help balance me. _

 

Sho seemed to warming up to things. He hadn’t forgotten how Okimi implied Judai could be dangerous, even instructing Sho on how to snap Judai back to himself if he started to slip, but Sho found Judai was someone he could look up to - he was sure that if Judai knew that, it’d help with whatever issues he had.

 

“With us living together, we must be linked together by fate or something! We might be the reincarnations of the Nameless Pharaoh and his Priest Set!” Sho exclaimed.

 

“Actually, Kaiba Seto is Set’s reincarnation, and the Motou twins are actually one soul, in two bodies, and the Pharaoh’s reincarnation,” said a voice Sho didn’t recognize. He jumped, but Judai didn’t even glance from where he was sorting his things into the dresser.

 

“Hello, Vyon, please don’t startle my roommates, and _what_ _do mean the Mutou twins are the Nameless Pharaoh???_ Oh my gods, no _wonder_ they share the title of King of Games if they’re two halves of a single soul!” Judai exclaimed whipping around to pin the Vision Hero with his gaze. “Tell me more!”

 

Burst Lady appeared and clapped her hand over Vyon mouth. “ _ That _ was supposed to be kept  _ secret _ , Vyon!” she hissed angrily. “Judai, that’s  _ all _ that can be said on the matter for now, things are still stabilizing.”

 

Judai held up his hands in surrender. “Okay, I get it, that tidbit of information won’t be leaving this room, right guys?”

 

“R-right,” Sho stammered, shocked that there were  _ actual _ Duel Monsters right in front of them. Those weren’t Solid Vision holograms. Which meant…

 

“Right,” echoed  _ another _ unfamiliar voice above him, making Sho jump and look up. “Name’s Hayato Maeda, by the way.”

 

“Yuki Judai, the jumpy kangaroo’s Marufuji Sho,” Judai teased, causing Sho to pout.

 

“That was  _ mean _ , Aniki,” he said, but it was clear he didn’t mean it in his teasing tone.

 

“Aniki?”

 

“It suits you. Your sister  _ did _ seem to imply you’ve decided to adopt me,” Sho replied. Judai paused. Huh. He  _ did _ adopt Sho in a way, didn’t he. Well, kid needed a big bro, so if Sho was happy with Judai…

 

“Alright then. Aniki it is.”

 

Hayato shifted around on his bed. “Where’d those Duel Monsters come from? I’ve seen a couple spirits before, but I didn’t know they could be solid without Solid Vision?”

 

“Ah, most can’t. I’m just special that way,” Judai grinned. Burst Lady appeared again and began to look over his unpacking before shooting him a dirty look and sorting the mess he had simply dumped into a couple of empty drawers. “Oh, come on! I swear I’ll keep my mess contained, let me have some slack!”

 

Burst Lady shoved some notebooks in his arms. “Those belong in the desk, not the dresser,” she ordered, and Judai hung his head and simply obeyed. There was no fighting the Pyro Mistress. Sho and Hayato chuckled until Burst Lady turned her fiery gaze on  _ them _ . “And you two. Have you unpacked  _ properly _ ?”

 

Two different yelps answered her.

 

“I have!”

 

“I was just going to start!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmm… I think I’ll end it here. And once again, Burst Lady just shows up and steamrolls everything. I do not plan these random appearances of her (not even last chapter’s conversation), she just shows up, does what she wants and leaves. She’s the Boss. There’s no questioning or stopping her.
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>  
> 
> Judai: *pouting* I hate being organized.
> 
>  
> 
> Burst Lady: Tough shit. Chaos needs Order for Balance, and Okimi’s not in this dorm, so you need to learn how to manage some Balance yourself.
> 
>  
> 
> Judai: *pouting intensifies*
> 
>  
> 
> Me: Well, at least my muses found a solution to a potential problem. Judai’s a bit too reliant on Okimi for stability - and Tomoyo when on photo shoots (Tomoyo is too bright and cheerful of a personality to be anything but Light, even without magic). Time to force his to branch out and make a safety net. He’s already gained two new anchors in one chapter!
> 
>  
> 
> Sho: I’m an anchor? Am I really that important?
> 
>  
> 
> Me: Yes. You are. And even though I love you, I won’t torture you. I’ll just hug you to death. You’re too fluffy.
> 
>  
> 
> Sho: *gasping for air in my death hug* HELP!


End file.
